Grammar for Writing
South Hampstead High School
Susie Wilson
Teaching and Learning Co-Ordinator – Research Lead
Teacher of English, Latin and Classical Civilisation
s.wilson@shhs.gdst.net
Debra Myhill, G4W, Exeter Uni.
Encouraging a relationship for students with grammar
acknowledging:
 Grammar as a part of writing as making sense.
 Grammar as it occurs in the real world of literature.
 Grammar as something we talk about when we talk
about our own writing.
 Playfulness as a powerful force.
 Justifying your choices as key to awareness of effect.
Grammar across Latin and English
Hmm, where do we start with the objectives we choose to
teach in English at KS3?
 Make a list of the most complained about errors?
 Take an index from a textbook and work through it?
 Stick to just what we know how to do best?
 Use a National Curriculum list?
 Split up grammar into nonsensical Nat Cur levels?
 Consider which elements are independent or dependent?
 Follow the foci already established in another language?
Cambridge Latin Course – wot I
learnt last year…
 Based on first language acquisition principles –
absorption and awareness raising of grammar
through rapid, extensive reading and investigation of
language patterns in context.
 Driven by story, discovery and context, so grammar
knowledge becomes the means of making sense of
what we already want to know.
 Annoys some by delaying full introduction of cases
and grammatical constructions, but very helpfully
introduces the elements of basic of sentence
construction bit by bit, methodically.
Graham Nuthall on Repetition
 When the learner has mentally repeated the thinking
process, in a meaningful way, three times or more, a good
memory is formed.
 The only element in common across a large number of
studies which was replicable outside particular
classrooms.
 The entire net of information needed for a concept must
be repeated.
 Cambridge Latin Course attempts this cyclically.
 Repetition across subjects would also do it…
Madeline Hunter
– Mastery Teaching
 Dependent and independent learning
 If it’s independent, you can learn it any time, anyhow (usual
research about learning applying!)
 But if it’s dependent, you won’t master it until you know the
pre-requisites, which may be either dependent or independent
 E.g. the alphabet order you can learn on its own. But you can’t
use an alphabetical index until you know the order of the
alphabet
 So students arguably need to learn smaller or base functional
grammar blocks before larger ones
Mapped objectives – CLC + what we
might need in English
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Across one year – for us at present both Y7 and Y8
So that teaching in English tracks teaching in Latin
English teachers able to use Latin metalanguage
Grammar for Writing method in English, so that we explore
the effects of grammar in context and using it ourselves to
create great writing, learning grammar along the way
 Students have a consistent experience discussing sentence
construction and grammar function in both subjects, as a
tool for helping them make sense
SHHS Planning Principles – Myhill +
CLC + Nuthall + Mastery
Start small and build up – mastering concepts and choices > surface
knowledge
Be honest about complexity from the start - no oversimplification e.g. verb =
doing word
Focus - don’t waste time explaining a concept when experiencing it later
works better
Be authentic – use real texts at all times, since they contain the necessary
complications
Employ accurate metalanguage usefully, but do not define, test or
foreground over effect
Use continuity across subjects, tracking investigation along other learning
(Latin + MFL)
Revisit the same grammatical construction repeatedly over time, with gaps
between
CLC Stages 1-4
Nouns and verbs
Subject, verb, object
Sentences = subject+main verb
Full stops and capitals
NEED TO DO THIS BEFORE COMMAS
BECAUSE COMMAS ARE ABOUT
CLAUSES NOT PAUSES
Lesson Planning Grid
Example 1 – Lines composed on the 7th
Floor out of noun phrases and verbs
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Lines Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, Wordsworth.
Read poem in excitable way, staring out across London from the 7th floor of your new building to rapt kids.They then
wonderingly mouth the nouns, one by one in a circle…
Teacher asks who is doing what in this poem, which elicits discussion of the poet’s attitude, how the landscape and the light
seem to take over the activities of the poem and perhaps also use of the terms subject and object to distinguish the passer by
from the city
On yellow paper, students select 3 favourite nouns or noun phrases – teacher uses some Latin equivalents too?
They trade their nouns according to connotation value
We all share and wonder some more at the useful specific connotations of nouns – the multitude of ‘things’ brought to mind by
them
Then we identify verbs and notice that several are used as adjectives e.g. ‘glittering’. We notice how they animate the landscape.
– teacher references where nouns usually come in Latin sentences, with some examples.
Students pick some verbs they like and write them on blue bits of paper
Students then in small groups compose a new poem out of their yellow and blue bits of paper (with necessary additions to make
it make sense), concentrating on what they can bring to life. We all share some and wonder some more, commenting on the
effect of the noun verb combos
Students then stare out of the window again/visualise and make lists of nouns/noun phrases, followed by some vivid animating
verbs
Students then individually write their own poems, trying to bring a familiar landscape to life and to create awe and wonder
through the combination of nouns and verbs
WARNING CHALLENGE – MAKE YOUR POEM FIT INTO GRAMMATICAL SENTENCES OR SEGMENTS ONCE YOU HAVE IT
BEGINNING TO FORM INTO SECTIONS OF TEXT
Homework: post it on VLE to share (berate students who do not do so with careful attention to punctuation ; ) or revert to
acrostics / adjectives ).
Follow up: students write whole sentences of their poems onto long strips of paper they then bend round to form lines of a
poem/ cut up and re-postion, whilst maintaining full sentence grammar, or knowingly flouting this. This occasions discussion of
the difference between a sentence and a line of poetry and elicits justification of the relationships between noun phrases and
verbs, plus revision of subject, verb object.
The city (lines composed on the 7th
floor)
The soul of the city
Lying open to the world.
The clouds float the river
By the domes of the sun.
Deeper is the silence,
Bare yet sweet.
The cool of the smoke
On the breath of the moon.
Georgie C., Y8
A less punctuated, but more noun
and verb heavy poetic exploration…
The city is a jigsaw
with edges and curves
A stone jungle of grey
towering over the world
Fumes pour out of cars
like blood from a wound
Whispers of green
shout to be heard
Still yet so frantic
silent yet booming
When life seems to freeze
the city keeps moving
Imogen K., Y8
The real deal…
Lines half composed from the 7th floorThe floor wears reflections,
bright white garments.
Mirroring the subtle changes of the ocean above.
The clouds project their changing emotions
rapidly onto my surrounding canvas.
Roads and buildings are tightly woven
into the uneven fabric of a conscious city.
The advantage of height
brings with it a stark view.
So many signs of life.
Yet no signs at all of those responsible.
Jane B., Y8
Example 2 – co-ordinating or subordinating sentences character study
 Locate two characters in a play who speak in co-ordinating
sentences and find 5 examples for each.
 Locate two more who speak mainly in sub-ordinating
sentences and find 5 examples.
 E.g. The Crucible Mary Warren and Giles versus Judge
Danforth. The co-ordinators are simple but truthful and the
sub-ordinator abuses his power and is complex but ultimately
unjust and deluded.
 Requires prior understanding of simple sentences formed out
of subject and main verb, with perhaps object.
What have teachers noticed from
Latin in English?
 Have the girls surprised you in any way, for example by mentioning
knowledge from other subjects, or being better or worse informed
about grammar than you had realised?
 Not sure how successfully they joined up dots between Latin and
English.
 In any one class it is possible to be surprised by the sophistication of
one student and the lack of understanding shown by another. I find
classicists tend to talk with confidence about clauses and tenses.
 Although I have not deliberately planned these lessons for years 10 and
11, when grammatical concepts have come up, I have been impressed
by those studying Latin. They tend to be the students who are capable
of discussing language structures with precision.
 They have cottoned on quickly... I also hope their increased awareness
will help in their own writing.
Issues arising…
 Time for planning
 Time for teaching – no need for relentless lessons, but
does need to build up and be revisited
 Teachers’ grammar knowledge
 Old habits die hard…
 How to assess progress
 How to mark
 How to support within Latin
 How to support in other subjects as yet unlinked…
SHHS - grammar benefits after half a
term…
SHHS - other benefits…
SHHS - challenges after half a term…
What’s personally tricky?
What would help teachers?
Is it ‘catching’?
To Do…
 Keep it fun and engaging
 Refine list of objectives, tracking much more simplified foci across
several subjects, but staying functional
 Track repetition of objectives and optimum revision/recurrence
 Somehow, someone to integrate grammar lessons into English
SOWs tracking Latin SOWs (somewhere over the rainbow)
 Dept to save lesson plans in one place, to share!
 Provide time for planning – together / individually
 Agree common language across subjects e.g. co-ordinating/subordinating? Focus on subject, verb, object sentence unit analysis?
 Provide time for teaching each other grammar
 Tackle the assessment and marking behemoth – how do we and
they know how they are getting on?